Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-08-13
& H H.:
A HISTORY OF ADVENTURE.
BY II. RIDER HAGGARD.

ll'SNtuS. We NtIc III tu,Lu. ANU VIC w
lowed a couple of minutes of Misunderstanding
excitement such as | can not hope To de-
scribe All | remember is II ~shrieking sen
of foam, out Of which the pillows rose here,
there, aud everywhere, like evcnSina
ghosts from their ocean grave. once we
We're turned right round, but either by
chance, or through Mahomed's skillful
steering, the boats head came straight
again before a breaker filled us. One more
monster. We were through it or over il
more through thar overland then. with
n wild yell of exultation from the Arab, we
shot out into the comparative smooth
water of the mouth Of sea between the
teeth-like lines Of crashing waves.
But we were half full Of water again,
and not more than half n mile ahead was
the second line of breakers. Again we set
{ o and bailed fpriously. Fortunately the
storm had nov quite gone by, and the
moon shone brightly, revealing a rocky
headland running half u mile OF more out
iuto the sea, of which the second line OF
breakers appeared to be n continuation.
At any rate, they boiled around its foot
Probably the ridge that made it ran out
into the ocean, only at IA lower level, and
lpElleu inc Fttl, HIS Htdiiitfiu WIS tcFfft
mated by a curious peak that seemed no,
to be more than a mile away from us. just
as we got the boat pretty clear, for the
second time, Leo, to my immense relief
opened his eyes, and remarked that the
clothes had tumbled off the bed, and that
he supposed it was time to get up for chapel.
| told him to shut his eyes and keep quiet,
which he did without in the slightest de-
gree realizing the position. AS for myself,
his reference TO chapel made me reflect,
with a sort Of sick longing, on my comfort
able rooms at Cambridge. Why had |
been such afool rs to leave them? This is
a reflection that has several times required
to me since with eyer-increasing force.
But now again we are drifting down on
the breakers, though with lessened speed,
for the wind had fallen, and only the eur
rent or the tide dt afterward turned out to
be the tide was driving rs.
Another minute, and with a sort Of howl
10 Allah from the Arab, a piouse ejaculation
from myself, and something that was not
pious from job, we were III them. And
then the whole scene, down to our final
repeated itself, only not quite 50
violently. Mahomed's skillful steering
and the alright compartments saved our
lives. In five minutes we were through,
and drifting-for we were too exhausted
to do anything to help ourselves except
keep her head Straightforward the most
startling rapidity round the headland
which / nave described.
Round we went with the tide, until we
got well under the lee of the point, and
then suddenly the speed s~lackened, we
ceased 10 make way, and finally appeared
to be in dead water. The storm had en-
tircly passed, leaving q clean-washed sky
Dehind it; the headland Intercepted the
heavy sea that had been o~coasioned by the
squaIl, and the tide, which had been run
ming so fiercely up the river (for we were
in the mouth of a small river, was slug
gish before it turned, SO We floated quietly,
and before the moon went down managed
to bail out the boat thoroughly, and get
her a little ship-shape. Leo was sleeping
profoundly, and, on the whole, l thought
it wise not to wake him. 1t vas + he
was in his wet clothes, but The night was
now so warm that | thought land so did
Job that they were not likely to injure q
man of his unusually vigorous constitu-
ton. Besides, we had no dry ones at hand.
Presently the moon went down, and left
rs floating on the waters, now only heaying
like some troubled woman's breast, which
gave us leisure to reflect upon all that we
had gone through and all that we had
escaped. Job stationed himself at the bow,
Mahomed kept his post at the tiller, and
sat on a seat in the middle of the boat close
TO where Leo was lying.
The moon went slowly down in chastencd
loneliness; she departed like some sweet
bride into her chamber, and long, veil-like
shadows crept up the sky, through which
the stars peeped slyly out. Soon, however
they too began to pale before a splendor in
the east, and then the quivering footsteps
of the dawn came rushing across the new
born blue, and shook them from theil
places. Quieter and more quiet grew thu
s%ea--Quiet as the soft mists that broodet
on her bosom and covered up her troubling
as the Elusive wreaths Of sleep brood upoI
and cover up n pain-racked mind, causing
it to forget its sorrow. From the east Il
the west sped the angels Of the dawn, from
sea to sea, from mountain top to mountain
top, scattering light with both their hands
On they sped u of the darkness, perfect
HlpI lolS. IhC GDiiAAN vi thC Jhob -
from the tomb; on, over the quiet sea, owe
the low coast line, and the swamps beyond
and the mountains beyond them; over thos
who slept in peace, and over those VIII
woke in sorrow: over the evil and the good
over the living and the dead; over the wild
| world and all that breathes or has breathet
thereon.
II was q wonderfully beautiful sight, am
yet sad, perhaps from the very excess o
its beauty. The arising sun! the settin!
sun! There we have the symbol and tn
type of humanity, and all things Will
which humanity has to do. The symbo
and the types, yes, and the earthly begin
ming, and the end also. And on that morn
ing this came home TO me with a peculia
force. The sun that rose to-day for us hat
set last night for eighteen of our fellow
voyagers-had set forever for eighteen
whom we knew!
The dhow had gone down with them
they were tossing about now among tn
rocks and sea-weed, SO much human drift
on the great ocean of death! And we fOu
were saved! But one day q sunrise vii
come when we shall be among those wn
are lost. and then others will watch thos
glorious rays, and grow sad in the mids
Of beauty, and dream of Death in the ful
glow of arising Life.
For this is the lot OF man.
ryy tp1sts. ~ utfts Frt- A n a. yf.ts = mr. 4 N